Adrift
by Dragonflyr
Summary: Inspired by an OVA, in the year 2005 four unlucky children unwittingly open the gate and are thrown into the midst of a toubled and chaotic land. Now young Ed, Al, Roy, and Rose must somehow make it home before they are utterly destroyed.
1. The Monster

Hello everyone. This is my first Fullmetal Alchemist fanfic, so I hope you enjoy it. If I can keep my muse going this will hopefully be a long and satisfying story for all. This was inspired by the movie and a short OVA that basically says that Edward Elric turned a hundred years old in our world in 2005. If you would like to see this OVA (and I recommend you do) there is a link to it on my profile. The kids appear about eight or so in the OVA, but for the purposes of this story we'll assume that they are about ten (eleven for Roy).

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the related characters or plots. Enjoy.

**(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)**

**Adrift**

Alphonse Elric stood beside his brother staring up at the transmutation circle the Thule society had created to connect their worlds. He wasn't sure how they were going to destroy such a thing without the use of alchemy, but he believed that as long as he was here with his brother together they could accomplish anything. In truth all he wanted at that moment was to hug his brother and not let go for a long time, but there would be time for that later. What was important now was to destroy the Thule society's work before the authorities arrived.

"You never told me how they opened the gate, Brother," Al commented as he began to walk the circumference of the room slowly in search of anything that could aid them.

"They used Envy to open the gate…" Edward replied, then added quietly, "and Father."

"Father?" Al asked turning to look at his brother. Ed cast his eyes downward and nodded slowly. Al too looked down sadly and, in doing so, noticed the red stain on the floor just behind him. A gasp escaped him as he turned to face the crimson puddle. He recognized it at once to be blood. Feeling himself begin to shake he caught sight of a form in the shadows beyond the puddle. Careful not to step in the spilt liquid he moved closer. As his eyes adjusted to the dimmer lighting the figure began to come into focus. He nearly screamed when the crumpled outline became clear.

"Father!" Al cried in anguish. He tried to move to his father's side but arms wrapped around him from behind, stopping him. The warm flesh of one of these arms contrasted sharply with the cold metal of the other. Al turned into the embrace, burying his face in his brother's chest as he wept.

"He sacrificed himself to give me passage home," Ed lamented quietly, holding his little brother close. Silence rang through the chamber, broken only by Al's sobs. When finally the tears subsided Al wiped his eyes and looked up from his brother's arms. He looked around the dank dungeon of a room and then turned slightly worried eyes back to his brother. "Brother, you said Envy was involved as well. Where is he?"

Ed stiffened and turned to look around the room. Envy was no longer suspended above them, nor was he anywhere in sight. "Maybe…maybe he was swallowed by the gate as passage fee," he suggested.

"Maybe…" Al agreed. Secretly, however, he hoped that hadn't been the case. He glanced back at his father and the red stain of blood before quickly looking away again. He remembered his own encounters with that hideous gate and what it had done to him and his brother. No one deserved to die like that, even if they weren't human.

**Tokyo, Japan 2005**

"This is the key to opening the door to Shamballa?" the woman questioned as she looked at the symbol drawn in chalk on the floor.

"Shamballa; Paradise; Shangri-La; it goes by many names. But to answer your question: yes, this is the way to get there," the man answered.

"But this creature it requires…it may not even exist. And if it does, how will you find it?"

The man was silent for a moment. "Forgive me; I forget that you are new to us. Allow me to explain. The 'creature' was used by our founder to open the door once before many years ago, but she was unworthy. Almost all of her followers perished and she herself was cast out of Shamballa. The 'creature' escaped. Luckily, not all of the followers were lost and some remained to continue our work in secret. Equally lucky, the 'creature,' due to its size, is easy enough to track through rumors and superstitions. We have no exact location, but I can assure you that it is here somewhere within this city. You, however, need not worry about that. Only concern yourself with gathering information. That will be sufficient for our cause."

"Very well," the woman bowed obediently. As she turned to walk away the woman knew in her heart that she could not be satisfied with playing such a role. She craved a more active part and felt certain that, if she chose her timing carefully, she would have her chance and be rewarded for it in the end.

**(xxx)**

"This will be your classroom, Izumi-sensei," the headmaster declared, pointing to the door of an exceptionally rowdy sounding classroom. Pushing the door back, they were met with a scene just as disorganized as the noise had promised. Chairs and desks were strewn about the room unevenly; all the children were talking at once, shouting to be heard over their peers; paper airplanes occasionally glided through the air; all manner of paper scraps and pencils littered the floor. The headmaster cleared his throat for silence. None of the children paid him any attention. He raised his hand and attempted to call the chaos to order but his voice was lost in the cacophony of the room.

"EVERYONE QUIET!"

Silence fell on the room. Every child froze and turned slowly to face the door. Just as startled as the children, the headmaster coughed and muttered, "Thank you, Izumi-sensei. I'll leave you to introduce yourself." Izumi nodded to the headmaster as he left the room, sliding the door shut behind him. Turning back to the class she discovered that none of the children had moved.

"SIT!" she ordered. The air filled with the noise of scrapping chairs. When everyone was seated satisfactorily she moved to the front of the room and wrote her name on the board. "I am Izumi-sensei, your new teacher." Some children nodded, though most didn't move at all. All of them possessed an inexplicable fear of this woman, and yet at the same time an undeniable sense of awe.

Izumi-sensei appeared to be in her mid-twenties, with black eyes and long black dreadlocks pulled partially into a high ponytail. Unlike the other teachers, who all dressed conservatively, Izumi-sensei wore plain black pants, sandals, and a white shirt with the top buttons undone until it was almost indecent. Just below her collarbone lay a green tattoo of a dragon-like serpent biting its own tail. She was completely different, in manner and appearance, than any other adult the children knew.

In the back of the room a boy with blonde hair and golden eyes leaned over to whisper to the boy beside him, "She's pretty scary, huh?"

"NO TALKING!" Izumi bellowed as the piece of chalk in her hand sailed through the air and hit the boy square on the forehead. Not expecting such an attack the child fell backwards, tipping his chair and crashing to the floor. Izumi approached the boy silently. The rest of the class watched in shock, none of them daring to move for fear they would be targeted next.

"Stand up," she ordered. The boy glared up at her but stood, rubbing the red spot on his forehead where the chalk had hit. "What is your name?" she asked. He continued to glare for a moment, trying to decide if he should chance disobeying her.

"Edward," he replied quietly. "Edward Elric."

"And him?" she asked, nodding to the boy with slightly browner hair and eyes Edward had whispered to. The boy stiffened, wondering if he too was about to have something thrown at him.

"He's my cousin, Alphonse," Edward supplied. Izumi looked between them for a moment. Stooping, she retrieved her chalk and turned to go back to the front of the classroom. Over her shoulder she said quietly, "Both of you will observe an hour of silence with me after school today."

"No way!" Edward cried in protest. The chalk flew across the room again.

"Sit down, Edward!"

**(xxx)**

"Stupid teacher. I can't believe she's making us stay after school. It's only her first day and she's already punishing us," Ed muttered at recess later that day.

"You, Cousin, she's punishing you. They only _ever_ punish you. You just always get me caught up in it somehow," Al stated matter-of-factly.

"Are you saying this is my fault?"

"Yes."

"Al, you're mean."

"I swear I really saw it, a real live monster!" a voice caught the attention of the bickering boys. Both looked up to discover a knot of students surrounding a boy one grade higher than them. Sharing a look, both boys began to push their way through the crowd.

"It was green with scales and had big teeth, like this," Roy Houkahi continued, extending his index fingers in front of his mouth to imitate fangs.

"Where'd you see it?" an eager child asked.

"In the cave by the river," Roy replied smugly. A collective gasp rang through the crowd.

"The haunted cave?" a small boy asked nervously.

"That's the one, only it's not haunted. It's the den of a monster!" Several of the younger children shrieked.

"Quit scaring them with made up stories, Houkahi," Ed said as he elbowed his way through the crowd.

"It's not made up," Roy shot back. "I really saw it you bean!"

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE COULD RIDE ON AN ANT!"

"Um…he didn't say that," a girl in the crowd said quietly.

"Shut up!" Ed yelled at her before turning back to Roy. "And you, stop telling stories."

"It's true!" Roy protested.

"It is not!"

"It is too!"

"It is not!"

"IT IS TOO!"

"IT IS NOT!"

"What is going on out here?" Izumi muttered as she stepped out onto the playground. She immediately felt a headache coming on when she recognized the blonde boy who was doing most of the screaming. "Him again?"

"There is too a monster and I'll prove it!" Roy roared. Ed glared at him.

'_Monster?'_ Izumi thought, halting just outside the ring of students.

"Fine, prove it then," Ed challenged. Roy looked around and Izumi quickly ducked to hide behind the other children. Lowering his voice, Roy leaned in and whispered, "Meet me here at sunset. Then we'll go to the cave and I'll prove it to you!"

"Tonight at sunset, we'll be here," Ed nodded.

"We?" Al cried in alarm. "Don't include me in this, Cousin!"

"But Al, you have to come!"

"Why? I believe him. He doesn't have to prove anything to me!"

"You're coming, Al!"

Izumi stopped listening to their bickering and turned her attention to her own thoughts. Her hand drifted to the fresh tattoo and she wondered if she would get the chance she was seeking sooner than she had expected.

**(xxx)**

The final bell rang and the students left the classroom one by one. Izumi packed up her things and headed for the door. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the so called 'monster,' wondering if it could be _that._ In any case, she had decided to keep the information to herself until she verified the existence of any monster at all. Her hand was on the door when a timid voice stopped her.

"Izumi-sensei?" She turned to find Ed and Al still in their seats, looking at her curiously.

"We're supposed to 'observe an hour of silence' with you, remember?" Ed reminded her.

"Oh yes, well," she paused, glancing back at the door. She really didn't have an hour to waste. "It is my first day so just this once I'll let it go. But next time it will be two hours, understood?" Both boys nodded. "Good, now run along home and I'll see you ton-tomorrow. Good-bye boys."

"Good-bye Izumi-sensei," they replied in unison as their teacher left them alone in the empty classroom. Once she was gone Ed narrowed his eyes as the vacant doorway.

"She's weird."

**(xxx)**

Splashes of pinks, purples, and reds smeared the sky in the dying light. The street lights had begun to come on when the three children met by the deserted gates of the elementary school.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't come," Roy teased.

"Why wouldn't we?" Ed fumed at the implied insult.

"I can think of a few good reasons," Al muttered, glaring half-heartedly at his cousin.

"May I join you?" a new voice made them turn. A girl stood before them.

'_Where did she come from?'_ all three thought in unison as they stiffened in surprise.

"I know you," Al said, glad for a distraction from the supposed monster they were to track down. "You're in our class. Your name is Rose, right?" The girl nodded. She was an odd child, to say the least. She was neither outgoing nor shy. If anything she seemed detached as though she existed in some separate and parallel reality. Brown hair with pink bangs cascaded down her back and deep purple eyes could make any of the other children, and even some adults, shiver as they felt she was gazing right through them. She never made any effort to interact with the other children and so they likewise made no such efforts towards her. It was rumored that one of her ancestors had been an outcast from a gypsy clan.

"I heard you were looking for a monster," she said quietly, her demeanor completely emotionless. "I would like to see as well."

"Er…sure, if it's alright with him," Ed said, nodding towards Roy.

"If it's okay with the bean that it's fine with me too," Roy shrugged.

"WHO'RE YOU—"

"Cousin, be quiet or we'll get caught!"

"There isn't anyone else hiding out there, is there?" Roy asked, looking around them. Rose shook her head. "Alright then, let's go."

The children began to walk down the street; Roy leading the way with Ed stalking behind him followed nervously by Al and Rose trailing behind at her own pace. Izumi emerged from her hiding place in the bushes and followed at a distance.

Roy lead them along the road for a few minutes before taking a detour through first one alley and then another. After the third alley they found themselves staring at a road leading to a large red bridge. Pushing through the bushes lining the road, they climbed down the hill to the river bank and started walking under the bridge.

Officer Hughes was finally off duty and in a rush to return home to his wife and daughter. As he neared the bridge, however, he caught sight of several children making their way down to the river bank. Immediately suspicious of their activities and worried for their safety he started forward. "Hey, you kids there!"

"It's alright officer," Izumi stopped him as she came from the alley. Hughes jumped at her sudden appearance.

"And you are?" he asked, adjusting his glasses in an attempt to appear more dignified.

"I am their teacher, or I am for some of them anyway."

"Their teacher?" Hughes asked in confusion.

"Yes. I am following them and I promise you no harm will come to them."

"Following them? Why don't you _stop_ them?"

"I am their teacher, not their mother," Izumi huffed, a dangerous light sparking in her dark eyes.

"Yes, but…" Hughes muttered weakly, suddenly intimidated.

"I assure you they will be fine. Now, if you'll excuse me I don't want to lose them."

Hughes watched her disappear after the children. He stood there for a moment, debating if he should follow. He shivered at the thought of confronting her again. Shrugging he turned and continued his walk home.

"I'm sure they'll be fine with that lady around. Besides, I get the distinct feeling that whatever is going on, I don't want to know about it."

"This is it," Roy declared as he stopped before a large cave surrounded by trees about half a mile from the bridge. "This is where I saw it."

"Yeah, I bet." Ed muttered.

"Go see for yourself!" Roy growled.

"I will!" Ed returned, starting for the cave.

"This feeling…" Rose whispered dreamily. Ed stopped and turned to look at her. She was staring at the cave with an odd expression none of the children could place. "There is something there…"

"Told you," Roy boasted. Ed opened his mouth to retort but the words died on his lips when Rose turned her haunting amethyst eyes on him.

"It feels like you…" she breathed, "and you," she continued, turning to Al.

"Like use?" Al asked in a shaky voice. Rose nodded.

"Yes. It feels…like it doesn't belong here…"

"Doesn't belong here?" Ed repeated. Rose turned to look at him once more.

"Like it doesn't belong in this world…"

"Like…what?" Ed asked as Al gasped.

'_Is this really it? Is this really _the_ monster?'_ Izumi wondered from where she hid listening amongst the trees.

Angry and confused, Ed clenched his fists and spun around to face the cave. "You're crazy! We DO belong in this world and there IS NO monster. I'll prove it!"

"Cousin, be careful…" Al warned weakly as Ed stomped towards the cave. Stopping just before the entrance, Ed stared into the darkness but there wasn't enough light to see anything. Cupping his hands around his mouth he called, "Hey! Monster! Are you going to come out and eat me now or what?"

The being in the cave lifted its head weakly. Over half a century with no access to red stones had left it weak and crippled. Moving stiffly it squinted to see the thing that was making so much noise and disturbing its sleep. As the boy outside the cave slowly came into focus the reptilian eyes widened. A surge of adrenaline filled the creature at the sight of its old enemy.

"You see?" Ed turned to face the others. "I told you. There is no—" A roar cut off the rest of his sentence. Ed moved slowly, jerkily to face the cave once more. Two bright eyes glowered out at him.

"Cousin…" Al breathed, too overcome with fright to say anything else.

"I told you…" Roy murmured weakly, taking a step back.

Rose stared silently at the eyes without any sign of fear on her face.

Izumi gasped. It _was_ the creature. It had to be. What else could it be? Her amazement was short lived, however. She suddenly cursed inwardly as she realized that the children were now in grave danger.

"Run!" she cried in warning, sprinting towards them from the trees.

"HAGANE NO CHIBI-SAN!" the creature roared and launched itself from the cave. Ed screamed in terror as he found himself paralyzed with fight. The next second Izumi had grabbed him and scooped him under her arm. The monster, weak as it was with age, crashed into the earth where the boy had been standing and was relatively slow to give chase.

'_If only I could bring it _there_,'_ Izumi thought as she ran. She noted that both Roy and Al had turned and begun to run but the girl stood motionless. Sighing, Izumi grabbed her as well and, with a child under each arm, raced down the river bank.

Rose gasped as she was grabbed, her eyes glazing over and her body going limp. One thought reverberated in her brain so strongly that she could not ignore it. "If only I could bring it _there_," she whispered out loud.

They were halfway back to the bridge, with the monster seeming to have lost them, when Al tripped. Unable to carry another child, Izumi was forced to stop. She placed her burdens on their feet as Roy feel back in exhaustion to sit on the ground.

"Let me see that," she panted as she knelt to examine Al's bleeding knee.

"I have to bring it there…" Rose whispered over to herself. "It's following us anyway. It would be easy to lead it there."

"Can you walk?" Izumi asked.

"I think so," Al answered as she helped him stand. As soon as he was standing, Rose grabbed his hand.

"We have to go!" She cried urgently, beginning to run and dragging Al along. "We have to lead it there!"

"Hey, let him go!" Ed shouted, running after them.

"What—?" Izumi started but was cut off as the serpent sprang from the water behind her. She dodged as it crashed into the bank, grabbing Roy and sprinting after the others.

Rose dragged her captive down the streets with Ed in hot pursuit. "I have to bring it to them…" She rounded a corner and started towards the university building.

'_Why is she going there?'_ Ed wondered as he struggled to keep up. _'Damn she's fast.'_

Pausing only a moment to throw opened the door she continued into the building, traversing the maze of hallways as though she had walked them a hundred times before.

'That_ building…'_ Izumi thought as Ed disappeared inside before her. The creature half-slithering half-flying behind her roared and she pushed her pace faster. Passing through the doors, she turned down another hallway seconds before the first virtually exploded as the monster tore through it after her.

Nearly falling numerous times, Rose clambered down a flight of stone steps with Al stumbling behind her.

"Wait!" Ed called breathlessly behind them. His foot missed the next step and he pitched forward, hitting the two in front of him and sending all three tumbling down the stairs. When they finally stopped rolling over one another they were in a large chamber that was presumably in the university basement. Strange chalk markings covered the floor. They lay in a heap at the bottom of the steps, with Ed at the bottom.

"Get off of me!" he demanded, his voice somewhat muffled. Al winced as he moved, the shift causing Rose to tumble almost lifeless to her side. She lay there blinking silently for a moment.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Ed growled at her when he could sit up. She looked at him inattentively and sat up slowly. She looked around the room as though studying every detail before turning back to him.

"How did I get here?" she asked.

"How…how did you…" Ed stuttered in disbelief. "There really is something wrong with you."

"Cousin…" Al reprimanded. He shifted to sit on his knees but thought better of it as blood smeared on the floor from his wounded knee, the contact making him hiss in pain.

"No, Al. She just dragged you halfway across creation and then says she doesn't even—" he stopped as the symbols on the floor began to glow. Light filled the room and all three children jumped to their feet.

"What did you do?" Al asked.

"I didn't do this!" Ed cried in defense.

"Shamballa," Rose breathed.

Izumi staggered down the rest of the stairs with Roy under her arm. As they emerged into the room they were blinded by the sudden light. "This is…"

"What is going on?" Roy shouted.

The monster redoubled its efforts to reach the bottom of the stairs as a bright light became visible and it was filled with a familiar feeling. "Home…"

The monster burst into the room at the same moment that the light exploded and swallowed everything.

**(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)**

So, what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Let me know. By the way, Roy's last name "Houkahi" is composed of two Japanese words. "Houka" means arson and "hi" means fire.


	2. Strange New World

Thanks so much to those who have reviewed so far. I hope you like this chapter as much as the first. Just a quick note: I will address this in the story itself later on but just so you don't get confused the passage of time is different between the worlds. While about sixty or seventy years have passed in our world, only about thirty or so have passed in the other world. Also, I thought you'd like to know, this has become a full-blown project for me and so I've gone ahead and created a soundtrack and the whole nine yards for this story. The main theme song for the story is called Heartplace and it is sung by Ayumi Hamasaki. In order to make it available to anyone I made a slideshow with the translated lyrics and put it up on youtube. If you're interested in checking it out I will put a link to it on my profile along with the OVA link. Thanks for your support and enjoy!

**(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)**

It had been an uneventful and peaceful day. Like most other days he had passed the time by looking at old photographs and reminiscing about the past, or else reading. He was currently engaged in the latter activity when the phone began to ring. Marking his page, he closed his book and slowly pushed himself up from his chair. Metal fingers curled around the receiver as it was lifted from the cradle.

"Hello? Grandpa?" a worried female voice rushed through the speaker.

"Trisha?" he replied, slightly alarmed at her tone of voice.

"Yes, it's me. Grandpa, by any chance have Ed or Al come by to see you today?" Trisha asked, trying and failing to keep her voice calm.

"No, not today," was the answer.

"Oh…I'd hoped…" she trailed off devastated.

"Trisha, what's wrong?"

"It's just that, I called Ed down to dinner and he didn't answer. So I went up to check on him and he wasn't in his room. We searched the whole house and he isn't here. Then I called Nina and she said that Al is missing too." Trisha sounded close to tears.

"All right now, calm down," he tried to sooth her. "I'm sure they're fine. Sunset was less than an hour ago. They probably just went out to play without telling you and lost track of time. I bet they're on their way home right now."

"Yes…" she muttered not wholly convinced, "yes, of course you're right. I'm panicking over nothing. Sorry I bothered you."

"Trisha, you are never a bother. Don't worry. They'll be home before you know it."

"Yes…thank you. Good night, Grandpa."

"Good night, Trisha." He hung up the phone but did not take his hand from the receiver. A frown darkened his features. He hoped he was right and the boys were safe.

**(xxx)**

Ed screamed as stringy black arms wrapped around his limbs. He struggled against them in panic but could not break their hold. A nearby cry drew his attention and he glanced up to see Al in a similar state.

"Al!" Ed yelled, fighting even harder against the arms.

"Cousin! Help!" Al pleaded. A new arm wrapped around his head to cover his mouth and a muffled scream escaped the boy.

"Hold on Al!" Ed managed to free his arm, reaching for his cousin who tried desperately to reach for him as well. Another inky arm wrapped around Ed's forehead to hold him back. "Let go of me!" he growled and forced himself foreword, breaking the arms around him so that they disintegrated and disappeared.

Half-swimming through the sea of arms he reached his cousin and tore off the arm blocking his mouth. Al gasped and took deep breaths, trying to hide the tears that threatened to spill out of his brown eyes. Ed continued to rip arms from his cousin until he was free. The black tentacles, as though afraid of the boys who had hurt them, surrounded the cousins but refrained from recapturing them.

"What is this place?" Al asked.

"I don't know," Ed answered quietly. There was a roar below them and both looked down to see the snakelike monster struggling through the arms.

"The monster!" Al cried, latching onto his cousin's arm.

"Hey, it looks like it knows where it's going. Maybe it knows the way outta here," Ed pointed out as they watched the monster's progress. Sharing a glance, both cousins began to make their way through the wiggling arms after the monster. They hadn't gone far when a familiar head of raven hair came into view.

"Houkahi!" Ed called as he and Al made their way towards the trapped boy. Together they made short work of the arms cocooning him.

"Where's the lady and that weird girl?" Roy asked when he was freed. Ed was about to answer that they didn't know when Izumi's voice interrupted him.

"You children were swallowed as well then?" They turned to see Izumi struggling through the arms with a limp Rose under one arm. The girl appeared to be unconscious.

"Is she okay?" Al asked worriedly.

"Honestly, I don't know," Izumi admitted. "Have you seen that dragon?"

"Yeah, it went that way. We think it might know the way out," Ed answered, pointing in the direction the monster had gone. Nodding, Izumi took the lead and began to force a path through the arms. The monster's roar rang through the air ahead of them and Izumi hurried to follow it.

"This way!" she called to the children behind her and with one final push the arms fell away and she was falling again.

The last of the arms gave way and the monster found itself in open space. It fell for a moment before regaining its senses and realizing where it was. With a triumphant roar it twisted through the air just before hitting the ground and soared high into the dark sky. Its senses were immediately assaulted by a welcomed and long forgotten tingle of power pulsating through the nearby river. The weakened body was drawn to the promise of revitalization and the monster nosedived into the polluted water.

A dark sky and a strange vision of ground came into focus for an instant and then were lost in the confused tumble of falling. It was only a short fall to earth, hardly fatal but bruising none the less. Izumi and the children lay still for a long moment after they landed, the jolt of the sudden impact echoing painfully in their bones.

"Ouch," Ed moaned as he sat up and rubbed his head.

"What was that?" Roy asked as he too sat up, watching as a bruise formed before his eyes on his arm.

"Forget that, where are we now?" Ed gasped. It was clear now why the ground had looked so strange from above. The grass was not a lush green but blood red. The few trees in sight were stained scarlet as well and most of them appeared to be dead. A city was visible in the distance, but the damage to it was clear and it was obviously disserted. A river ran by the city and curled off towards the horizon. Its waters, like everything else, were a sickly crimson. The sky above them was dark with angry clouds; a storm that appeared to be concentrated directly above the city.

'_This isn't right…it isn't supposed to be like this…can this really be Shamballa?'_ Izumi thought as she stared with the children at their frightening surroundings.

"Why is everything red?" Al wondered uneasily.

"This place feels wrong," a dazed voice made them turn to see Rose sitting up looking fearfully at the distant city, the first real emotion they had seen her display.

"What's with you and 'feeling' things anyway?" Ed muttered darkly. He turned to face her and deliver another nasty remark, but stopped when he noticed his cousin fishing something out of the tall grass that waved all around them in the slight breeze. "Al, what are you doing?"

"Look, Cousin! A kitten!" Al smiled as he pulled a small gray kitten into his arms.

"Al, put that thing back!" Ed reprimanded.

"What? No!" Al replied fiercely, wrapping his arms protectively around the kitten.

"I said put it back! It could be dangerous!"

"Dangerous? It's just a little kitten!"

"Everything here is weird. What if that thing is too?"

"It is not weird, it's normal."

"Nothing here is normal!"

"He's all by himself. I can't just leave him out here."

"If you won't than I will."

"Cousin, let go! You'll hurt him!"

"Give me the cat, Al!"

"No!"

"Al, give it!"

"No!"

"Al!"

"Explain yourselves!"

The group froze, Ed's hand still outstretched to grab the kitten, and turned to see a man in blue uniform standing there glaring at them. Though none of them had ever seen such a uniform before it was obvious even to the children that this man belonged to some form of military. The black handle of a gun hung dauntingly at his hip.

"Who are you? Where do you come from? What is your business here?" The man appeared fearful of them and for a moment the children were confused. He was bigger and stronger than them and certainly had an advantage with his weapon. Why would he be afraid of them?

The man unconsciously reached for his gun when Izumi stood up, though he did not draw the firearm. She took a deep breath, trying to clear her head. The children were her responsibility while they were here, this she knew, and now she had to do her best to keep any of them from being shot by this edgy officer.

"My name is Izumi," she said calmly. "These children and I are…refugees. We lost our way a few days ago, I'm afraid." Ed, Al, and Roy all glanced at Izumi but said nothing. Rose ignored the officer and continued to stare fearfully at the city.

"You have no bags with you," the officer remarked, his voice thick with suspicion.

"Our supplies ran out yesterday morning," Izumi replied smoothly. "It was troublesome to carry empty bags so we left them behind."

"What country are you from?" he asked. Izumi was silent.

"We have no home here," Rose lamented monotonously. Everyone turned to look at her. The officer looked more scared than ever. Ed suddenly remembered the rumors concerning Rose's family and blurted, "Gypsies! We're gypsies. Yeah, that's what she means. We just, you know, wander all over the place and don't really have a home."

"It has been a long time since I have heard news of this place," Izumi added. "I remembered there was a city here, but it is obvious now that it is of no use to us." The officer, obviously disbelieving, opened his mouth again but was interrupted.

"Is there a problem here?" The officer turned to address his superior while Izumi and the children stared in shock at the new arrival. Even Rose tore her gaze from the city to take in the stranger. He was tall with blonde hair and steely black eyes set in an eerily familiar face.

"Major Mustang," the officer greeted with a salute, "I was just…"

"Harassing a woman and a bunch of kids?" Major Mustang finished with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey Houkahi," Ed whispered to the raven haired boy beside him. "This guy looks just like you, only the hair's different." Roy only nodded dumbly.

"But, sir, you must admit it is suspicious," the officer was trying to explain.

"You mean to tell me you're scared of a bunch of children, lieutenant?" Mustang asked almost mockingly.

"What? N-no, sir, but for them to be wandering here, this close to Red City…" He officer stopped and lowered his voice, turning his back to Izumi and the children. "Strange things happen around here. And that lady, she said she didn't know about what had happened here. How could she not know?"

"I see…" Mustang murmured, glancing over his shoulder at the children. He gazed at them all carefully in turn, an act that caused the boys to fidget and stare down at their feet. Rose, as always, remained unaffected. "Lieutenant, I think you're long over due for some R and R. No, no," Mustang cut off the officer as he tried to protest, "I must insist. You are to take a full week's leave as soon as we get back, and that's an order. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," the officer muttered resentfully.

"Good, now go back to the trucks. I will handle this." The officer saluted once more and started glumly towards a few dots on the horizon that Izumi and the children assumed were the trucks.

"Now then," Mustang said cheerfully as he turned back to the children. "You don't appear to be from around here. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Major Royce Mustang."

"Hello," Al replied happily, hugging his kitten. "I'm Alphonse and that's my cousin Edward," he pointed to Ed. "This is Izumi-sensei, our teacher, and our friends Roy and Rose."

"Don't call weird people my friends," Ed retorted.

"Be quiet, bean," Roy huffed.

"WHO'RE CALLING AN ULTRA-SUPER SHORT MIDGET!"

"You're so annoying," Roy sighed as he lowered the hands he had placed over his ears.

"Yeah, well you're—"

"ENOUGH!" The bickering stopped at Izumi's command. Once there was silence Mustang cleared his throat.

"Judging by the story you gave to my officer," Mustang said with an amused smile, "I'm guessing you don't have anywhere to go." The group was silent. "I thought as much. In that case, you are welcome to come with us to New Central. I have a friend there who will be more than happy to have you as guests." The group exchanged looks.

"Thank you very much. Consider us in your debt," Izumi bowed. Mustang nodded and turned in the direction the officer had gone earlier.

"Al, you're not bringing that cat with us," Ed hissed as they followed the Major.

"I'm not leaving him here, Cousin," Al replied curtly.

"Al!"

"My friend that you'll be staying with rather likes cats," Mustang offered, overhearing the argument. "You're free to bring it if you want to. I'm sure there won't be any objects." Al stuck his tongue out at his cousin.

They walked in relatively comfortable silence for a while after that, the trucks growing steadily larger in the distance. Now the children could see people moving around the giant vehicles, all of them in the blue military uniforms.

"Look," Al observed when they were nearly halfway to the trucks, "the red is going away." They looked and saw he was right. The grass beneath their feet steadily grew a lighter and lighter shade of crimson until finally it gave way altogether to a dull green. As they continued the green progressed to a healthier shade until it was at last familiar and recognizable. The few trees around them no longer looked dead and even had green leaves to clothe their boney branches. Only the river in the distance and the grass at its banks was still red.

The entire group felt lighter and more at ease now that the world no longer seemed so alien. The dark clouds of the storm above the distant city had been left behind and the sky above them was blue and welcoming. Mustang noticed the boy who mirrored his younger self walking just behind him and slowed his pace to be even with him.

"You're name is Roy, is it not?" he asked. The boy looked a little startled that the comment was addressed to him, but nodded.

"Ah, that's a good name. A good, strong name," Mustang said nostalgically. "My father's name is Roy." Roy felt he should say something but was unsure what.

"Oh," he said, cringing inwardly at the idiotic comment.

"He was a military man once also. So was my mother. They are both retired now," Mustang continued. Roy nodded, wondering why the Major was telling him this. An awkward silence settled between them. After hearing Mustang's family history like that Roy felt almost guilty that they were lying to this man who was helping them.

"You know…" Roy began quietly after a moment, "you know we're not really gypsies."

"I figured as much," Mustang nodded. "But let's not talk about this now," he added in a whisper. "When we reach my friend's house it will be safer to talk."

"Major, there you are," an officer greeted them as they finally reached the line of trucks.

"General," Mustang returned with a salute. "I apologize for my absence. I will be taking these civilians with me to New Central, sir." The general looked past Mustang to Izumi and the children. They were relieved when he didn't display any of the earlier officer's nervous suspicion.

"Very well, Major. We will be departing now."

"Yes, sir," Mustang replied with another stiff salute.

"Oh, and Major," the General added in a more casual tone, "next time you feel the need to run off, I'd appreciate it if you warned me first. Just because I know you would never go AWOL doesn't help me convince _them_ when I don't know where you are."

"Yes, sir," Mustang smiled sheepishly. The general nodded and turned to walk towards the jeep at the head of the convoy of trucks. Mustang also started to walk towards the vehicles at the front of the line, waving his hand over his shoulder for the others to follow him. He led them to the first truck just behind the General's jeep.

He turned to help Izumi into the truck only to find her already climbing up herself. Surprised for a moment, he then smiled and shook his head. When she was safely in the high back of the truck he bent and seized Al by the armpits.

"Up we go!" he called while Al yelped in surprise and gripped his kitten until it yowled in discomfort. Mustang passed the boy up to Izumi before turning and repeating the process with the other children. Rose took a step back from him, as though reluctant to be touched. When he did grab her she went limp and remained that way until she was in Izumi's grasp. Then he himself climbed up into the truck.

There were twenty or so soldiers in the truck with them, all of which turned their attention to Izumi and the children. Some looked nervous while others were merely curious. The boys felt uneasy under the soldiers' heavy stares, but Mustang's carefree attitude put them at ease a bit.

"We should arrive in New Central in about half an hour," he told them as the truck rumbled and sputtered to life. They jerked forward once and then again before the metal beast settled into gear and rolled smoothly down the road. Ed peered curiously at the trucks behind them, trying to count how many there were.

"Are there soldiers in all of those trucks?" he asked.

"That's right," Mustang nodded.

"Wow," Ed breathed in wonder. "Are you guys at war with someone or something?" Any soldiers who hadn't been staring at the children turned towards them now at that question. Mustang laughed rather loudly.

"It is hard to tell who we're fighting these days, isn't it?" he joked, his voice loud enough for all of the soldiers to hear. "Sometimes it seems all we do is fight. It's rather difficult to keep track of it all. And I'm sure you gypsies don't have much of a chance to keep up with the news, do you?" Most of the soldiers' suspicious looks died, though some lingered.

"We're not at war, at least not yet," Mustang said with a more normal volume. "There was a civil dispute in the west and we were sent to keep the peace, but that's all. No one even had to fire a single shot."

"That's good," Al smiled, stroking his kitten.

"Yes, it is," Mustang agreed. An odd, almost regretful look came into his dark eyes.

"Who is this friend you're taking us to?" Roy asked, feeling a change of subject was in order.

"Yeah, what's he like?" Al asked eagerly.

"She, actually," Mustang corrected with a smile. "We've been friends since childhood. Actually, our fathers were good friends as well. She can be a little…eccentric at times, but she's a wonderfully dependable and loyal friend. I think you are going to enjoy staying with her."

"Sounds like you _like_ her," Ed smirked. A blush spread over Mustang's face. Before he could stutter a response, however, Ed cried out in pain as Roy elbowed him in the ribs.

"Don't be rude, bean," Roy said.

"WHO'RE YOU—"

"He's right, Cousin. That wasn't nice. You should apologize," Al interrupted.

"Al, you're agree with this guy?" Ed asked in a betrayed tone.

"Edward, listen to your cousin. Apologize," Izumi said sternly.

"But—"

"NOW!" Izumi glared at him darkly. A shiver ran down the blonde boy's spine and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Man…I was only teasing…" Ed muttered, turning back to Mustang. "Sorry."

"Um…that's alright," Mustang said bewilderedly. A few of the soldiers snickered but stopped when he shot them a glare. As he turned back from the soldiers he noticed the girl sitting silently next to him.

"You're rather quiet to be with these guys, aren't you?" he asked her. She glanced at him but said nothing. He suddenly felt uncomfortable under her gaze and turned nervously to stare out the back of the truck. The rest of the ride was short and free of anymore outbursts.

When the trucks pulled to a stop Roy got out and helped the children out of the truck, except for Rose who avoided him and jumped down on her own. The children stared in wonder at the city around them. The tall white buildings and the people on the street all seemed normal and that was a tremendous relief after the shock they had received from their initial surroundings.

"This way," Mustang told them as he led them away from the trucks and the soldiers. They walked down what appeared to be the main street, passing stores and merchants with carts. The street was busy with people, many of which paused to offer them greetings and a smile.

They passed from the commercial district to a residential district where Mustang led them to a large white house that looked very welcoming. Izumi and the children stayed back in the front yard as Mustang climbed the steps to the door and knocked twice. A woman with blonde hair and green eyes answered the door.

"Hello, Royce," she greeted him warmly. "I heard you would be back today. Who are your friends?" she added looking past him.

"They're gypsies we met on our way back. I was hoping they could stay here for a while, if it isn't too much trouble."

"Oh, of course," she smiled. "It's always nice to have someone to keep me company in this big house." Mustang smiled and turned to introduce his friend.

"Everyone, this is my good friend who you'll be staying with, Elicia Hughes."

**(xxx)**

Envy struggled out of the river and onto the crimson grass. His long green hair was matted down with the red water and he was too tired to wring it out. Collapsing on the grassy bank he felt exhaustion sink in and fell into a deep sleep without noticing the three figures that were making their way curiously towards him.

"Falling asleep on the bank…he's almost as lazy as you, Sloth," one of them commented.

"Can I eat him?" another asked.

"I don't think so. He's one of us. Look," the third yawned, pointing to the red ouroboros tattoo on Envy's thigh.

"How interesting," the first remarked. "So someone besides Father is making things like us?"

"I don't know," the third said, yawning again.

"So I can't eat him?" the second one asked.

"No, but you can drag him back to Father," the third replied.

"Because we all know you're too lazy to do it," the first grinned. The third one gave no answer as the second hoisted Envy over his shoulder and they turned towards the ruined city.


End file.
